/kw/~/k/

[Natalie Maynor]

Matthew Gordon wrote:
> I have the cot/caught merger with an unrounded vowel (i.e. the western
> version), and I have no /w/ in quarter or quart. Sorry to screw up your
> theory.

Fwiw, I don't have the cot/caught merger but, as well as I can judge
(which I realize is difficult with one's own speech), I always use
[kw] in quarter or quart.  I've tried saying things like "it's a quarter
of nine" as rapidly as I can, and in all cases I've at least *thought*
that the [w] was there.  I find that my tongue rebels when I try to
leave out the [w].
   --Natalie Maynor (maynor at ra.msstate.edu)